Lance came up behind him, wrapping his arm affectionately round his neck, kissing the side of his face.
“How are you feeling, Jace?”
JC smiled, “Sore, deprived.” He paused looking at his babies with love filled eyes. “Look at them Lance, they are perfect.”
“They’re your miracle.”
JC’s smile spread, “They are aren’t they. I wish I could have give birth to them.”
Lance sighed. “You know that was impossible, sweetie.”
“Why? Why was it Lance? You’re a clever man, you could have fixed me if you really wanted to.” Tears began to well in JC’s steel blue eyes.
“Jace!”
“Why don’t you want me to experience true birth? You did, and Chris, you even let Justin. Why didn’t you let me?”
Lance hugged JC hard, letting him cry on his shoulder. “Baby you know I would give anything to let you, but I didn’t know, I swear I didn’t.”
“You could put them back, before they are due to be born.” JC looked up at Lance his eyes full of hope.
“I can’t.”
“Can’t or won’t?”
“It will kill you Jace, I won’t live with that guilt. I’d rather you hate me for the rest of your life than be the cause of its end. Besides, don’t you think they deserve to have a poppa? They will need you honey.”
“They’ll have Justin.”
Lance laughed sarcastically. “Justin! Let me tell you about Justin, he is an authoritarian, a bully; he loves his children but sees them more as a possession. You on the other hand, are softer, warmer, loving them unconditionally. They are afraid of Justin, they trust you.”
JC reached out his hand tracing Crystal’s tiny frame with his fingertip. He sighed a long sorrowful sigh, knowing his long time friend and doctor was right.
“Have you spoken to Jewel since you came back?” Lance asked gently.
The brunette shook his head. “No, not with being tied up with the twins an all. I thought maybe he would come and see me, but he hasn’t.”
“JC take the time to go find him, talk to him, he needs you right now.”
“Is there something you are not telling me Lance? Is there something wrong with my baby?” JC’s voice was edged with fear and concern.
“Just talk to him Joshua, sooner rather than later.” Lance could see that JC was reluctant to leave the twins alone. “I’ll stay with Teddy and Crystal. I saw him over by the kitchen, go talk to him, please.”
JC took one more look at the babies then turned his chair and wheeled himself out to where his son was waiting.
Jewel stood his hands in the warm soapy water, rubbing a cloth over a dirty plate; he dipped it into the second sink filled with clean water, rinsing the foam from the crockery before he put it to drain. JC wheeled himself up behind him, waiting till his hands were free before he spoke.
“Gem.”
Jewel turned slowly, reluctantly facing his poppa as he leaned back against the work unit. He stared at his feet, contemplating his bare toes, unwilling to speak, not trusting himself not to breakdown into floods of tears.
JC sat patiently waiting for his young son to speak.
“I’m pregnant.” Jewel whispered.
The older man chewed on his lip, looking up to the sky till he was sure he wasn’t going to cry. “How many months baby?”
“Six.”
“You are hardly showing.”
“Uncle Lance thinks my gestation period will be longer, he says that Joshua and I have picked up traits from both races, that I got pregnant at this age is a human thing and he thinks that I will carry about eleven months, due to my Endorian genes.”
JC looked briefly stunned, covering his surprise quickly. “He told you what race they were?”
“Well yeah, I figured that you would tell us at some time but Lance was there.”
“I never knew.” The older man stifled a laugh at the irony of his statement.
“But you’ve been with daddy for 18 years!”
JC shrugged. “I never asked and he never said, I guess I found it easier to think of him as human. It’s of no matter now anyway. Come here.” he held his arms out to the young boy, pulling him in tight to his body, stroking his hair and kissing his forehead, as Jewel sat on his lap, like he did when he was a baby. “Does daddy know?”
Jewel nodded silently.
“He wasn’t pleased?”
“He tried to kill Joshua.”
“He’s protective.”
“Uncle Chris threatened to rip him apart.”
JC began to laugh, “I can imagine, Kirkpatrick pissed is not a pretty sight. Gem, are you happy?”
Jewel smiled softly and gazed up into his poppa’s eyes. “Ecstatically, please don’t hate me poppa.”
“I love you Gem and I’ll be with you all the way.”